Jelly Roll‘s acting debut on Fire Country came with an emotional monologue — and introduced his new song.
During the episode that aired on Friday, April 11, the popular CBS show introduced Jelly Roll as Noah, a healthcare worker and former convict. When Vince visited Walter’s memory care facility for the first time, there was a moment of confusion as his father mistook him for his brother, causing a bit of tension in the air.
Jelly Roll’s character empathized with Vince, expressing understanding for the situation. He offered to lend an ear during his lunch break, acknowledging the difficulty of seeing a loved one forget cherished memories. Despite the chilly weather, he encouraged Vince to open up and share his feelings.
As Noah sat in Vince’s car, he shared a personal anecdote about coping with his own parent’s dementia. He disclosed a mix of emotions, including a surprising sense of relief when his mother no longer recognized him due to her condition. This revelation provided a deeper insight into Noah’s character and his own struggles with familial challenges.
He continued: “The last time I got to see my mom was from behind prison glass. When she didn’t recognize me I figured at least she didn’t have to deal with the heartbreak of seeing her boy like that. But I made a vow right then that I was going to be the good boy she raised and remembered.”
Noah’s support turned into a suggestion that Vince cook Walter a “home cooked meal” because it is “great for memory stimulation.” He turned out to be right when Vince’s meal with Walter triggered Walter remembering his son.
Later in the episode, Jelly Roll’s “Dreams Don’t Die” song played as Cal Fire helped survivors of a ski resort accident following a chair lift malfunction. Jelly Roll’s appearance was the musician’s first scripted role after he previously made a cameo as himself on Paramount+’s Tulsa King.
Star — and executive producer — Max Thieriot recently told Us Weekly that he “reached out first” after crossing paths at the CMT Music Awards.
“He was finishing drying his hands with a towel in the bathroom at the CMTs [in April 2024]. I ran into him in the bathroom straight up at the CMT Music Awards,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Thank you for letting us have some of your songs on the show.’ And he’s like, ‘Dude, how do I get on the show? I’ve been petitioning online and talking to my people and you got to get me on that show.’ He said Fire Country is what he really represents. … He called me the next day and it showed how sincere he was.”
Thieriot credited Jelly Roll for being collaborative. “We worked on coming up with a character [for him] that we all thought would be interesting, unique and special and still. It tells some of the story about second chances and what he really represents,” he noted to Us. “But [it] also feels different from who he is and how people see him day to day as a country singer.”
He concluded: “I don’t know [if we will have more country singers]. I have to wait for the next awards show and I’m just going to set up a chair in the bathroom to start greeting them as they come in. But there’s a few that we’ve been talking with for a while now. Honestly, it would be fun to maybe see both [Kane and Jelly Roll] bring their characters back in some form.”
Fire Country airs on CBS Fridays at 9 p.m. ET.
